There was a time when, if you had told me that Nintendo would launch a new console and one of the launch titles would be a Sonic game, I would have laughed you out of the playground. It may have once been unthinkable, but Sonic X Shadow Generations is, indeed, one of the launch titles for the Switch 2. But, is it more than just a flashy port of what was released a few months ago?
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That release was itself a remaster, making this a re-re-master in a rather strange way. You get the core Sonic Generations from 2011 along with a chunk of Shadow-focused gameplay which acts as a prequel. Here, Shadow travels through time tracking down his arch-nemesis, Black Doom.
Conqueror of the Third Dimension
At the time of the original release, it felt very much like a game of two halves. Generations played as you remembered, but it showed its age in several ways. And these issues were only then amplified by the new Shadow content.
I don’t say this lightly, it may be the best 3D take on a Sonic game since the Adventure days.
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Sonic X Shadow Generations dishes up an almost perfect slice of platforming action on Nintendo’s new console. And, the timing is good as Mario is busy playing around in his go-kart. However, if you’re a Switch owner making the leap, there is an elephant in the room.
Sonic X Shadow Generations was released on the Switch. And, for this new version, there is no upgrade path if you own the previous one. For most, that may come as a bit of a disappointment. And it’s even more puzzling when you realise you can import your save data from the Switch to the Switch 2.
Speed Boost
There’s no denying the game runs dramatically better on the Switch 2. Frame rate and resolution are improved. Sonic X Shadow Generations for Switch 2 now runs at a buttery-smooth, locked 60fps. It’s a game-changer, especially given the hero is famous for, well, speed.
There is also a quality mode which locks it at 30fps while bumping up the resolution if you’re more of a visual purist. This does beg the question: why not skip the Switch release entirely and go all-in with the Switch 2, making it the definitive version in the family?
Strict Upgrade
Aside from the performance enhancements under the bonnet, this is essentially a carbon-copy port with no new updates or content. So, if you played it to death already, you’ll be hard-pressed to find anything fresh.
This also means all the legacy issues from the original release are back, particularly with Generations. These could have been ironed out with a bit of refinement to brush off that ‘old- feeling, especially in the 2D levels.
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That said, as I mentioned above, these are two standout titles in the Sonic catalogue, and arguably in the wider platforming genre too. I might be nitpicking—after all, the blue hedgehog is the character who got me into gaming some 34 years ago.
Sonic X Shadow Generations is a stellar re-re-master that delivers the performance one would expect, allowing the lead Nintendo version to go toe-to-toe with its PS and Xbox counterparts.
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It’s an easy recommendation if you’ve never played it before or haven’t touched Generations since its release 14 years ago. However, it’s a tougher sell to hardcore fans and those who picked it up on another platform last October. And so, with its launch on the Switch 2, Sonic firmly holds the system’s platforming crown… your move, Mario.
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